Though Holmes was not a school shooter, he was a student shortly before his attack. He was hostile toward his university, threatened people, and could well have committed a school shooting. Why he did not do so remains a mystery. He fits several patterns I’ve found among school shooters and he is discussed briefly in my book School Shooters.

Original documents

This is a fascinating window into the perpetrator’s mind. It includes musings about life and death, self-diagnosis and description of mental and physical problems, preoccupation with killing, and plans for his attack.